ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · bulb · cell · rock · staff · track · cold · pitch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — an illness
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — music
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a song
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com